1977 Kentucky Wildcats football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
APNo. 6
Record10–1 (6–0 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPerry Moss (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorCharlie Bailey (3rd season)
Home stadiumCommonwealth Stadium
1977 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Alabama $ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0
No. 6 Kentucky 6 –0 –010 –1 –0
Auburn 5 –1 –06 –5 –0
LSU 4 –2 –08 –4 –0
Florida 3 –3 –06 –4 –1
Georgia 2 –4 –05 –6 –0
Mississippi State 2 –4 –05 –6 –0
Ole Miss 2 –5 –05 –6 –0
Tennessee 1 –5 –04 –7 –0
Vanderbilt 0 –6 –02 –9 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Kentucky ineligible for SEC championship due to NCAA probation. Mississippi State later forfeited all 1977 wins due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Wildcats scored 252 points while allowing 111 points. The Wildcats finished conference play undefeated but due to NCAA probation were not eligible for a share of the SEC championship or for postseason play.[1] The Wildcats finished the season ranked #6 in the final AP Poll.[2]

Kentucky's 33–13 victor over LSU was its third in four years over the Bayou Bengals, and the Wildcats' first at Tiger Stadium since 1949, when Bear Bryant was Kentucky's coach.

In the Border Battle, Kentucky beat Tennessee by a score of 21–17. Entering that game, Kentucky had seven injured starters unable to play, including quarterback Derrick Ramsey, whose arm was injured so badly he could not throw the football. Tennessee jumped out to a 17–14 lead when backup quarterback Mike Deaton completed a 36-yard pass to Felix Wilson; the injured Ramsey then entered the game and led Kentucky to a touchdown. Tennessee's offense then took the ball to Kentucky's 22-yard line but Tennessee quarterback Jimmy Streater fumbled due to a hit by Kentucky All-American defensive end Art Still, and linebacker Kelly Kirchbaum recovered the ball to preserve the win.[3]

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 10North Carolina*
W 10–757,796[4]
September 17at Baylor*
L 6–2130,000[5]
September 24West Virginia*
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 28–1357,796[6]
October 1at No. 4 Penn State*
W 24–2062,196[7]
October 8Mississippi StateNo. 16
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 23–757,914[8]
October 15at No. 16 LSUNo. 12
W 33–1371,495[9]
October 22at GeorgiaNo. 8
W 33–059,100[10]
October 29Virginia Tech*No. 7
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY
W 32–057,914[11]
November 5at VanderbiltdaggerNo. 7
W 28–634,694[12]
November 12at FloridaNo. 7
W 14–758,125[13]
November 19TennesseeNo. 7
  • Commonwealth Stadium
  • Lexington, KY (rivalry)
W 21–1757,914[14]
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[15][16]

Personnel

1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Randy Brooks
QB Mike Deaton
RB Joe Dipre
OL Tom Dornbrook
OL Dan Fowler
OL Will Grant
RB Robert Hawkins
RB Chris Hill
OL Dave Hopewell
OL Tom Kearns
TE Greg Nord
RB Henry Parks
TE Scott Petersen
OL Larry Petkovsek
QB Derrick Ramsey
RB Chuck Servino
RB Rod Stewart
WR Bill Tolston
WR David Trosper
RB Fred Williams
WR Felix Wilson
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DL Jerry Blanton
DB Ritchie Boyd
DL Bud Diehl
DB Rich Hayden
DL Richard Jaffe
LB Kelly Kirchbaum
LB Mike Martin
DB Dallas Owens
DL James Ramey
DB Mike Siganos
DL David Stephens
DE Art Still
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Joe Bryant
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured Injured
    • Redshirt Redshirt

    Game summaries

    Penn State

    1 234Total
    • Kentucky 7 7100 24
    Penn St 10 1000 20
    Scoring summary
    1PSUBahr 20 yard field goalPSU 3-0
    1PSUCefalo 75 yard punt return (Bahr kick)PSU 10-0
    1KENOwens 23 yard interception return (Bryant kick)PSU 10-7
    2KENServino 1 yard run (Bryant kick)KEN 14-10
    2PSUGuman 29 yard pass from Fusina (Bahr kick)PSU 17-14
    2PSUBahr 25 yard field goalPSU 20-14
    3KENBryant 30 yard field goalPSU 20-17
    3KENRamsey 1 yard run (Bryant kick)KEN 24-20

    Georgia

    1 234Total
    • Kentucky 0 101013 33
    Georgia 0 000 0
    Scoring summary
    Q2KYBryant 51 yard field goalKY 3–0
    Q2KYWilliams 1 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick)KY 10–0
    Q3KYTropser 17 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick)KY 17–0
    Q3KYBryant 51 yard field goalKY 20–0
    Q4KYWilson 12 yard pass from Ramsey (Bryant kick)KY 27–0
    Q4KYNord 10 yard pass from Deaton (kick failed)KY 33–0

    [17]

    Team players in the NFL

    PlayerPositionRoundsPick OverallNFL club
    Art StillDefensive End12Kansas City Chiefs
    Derrick RamseyQuarterback5136Oakland Raiders
    Mike MartinTackle9244Chicago Bears
    Will GrantCenter10255Buffalo Bills
    Dallas OwensDefensive Back10275Baltimore Colts
    Jerry BlantonLinebacker11282Buffalo Bills

    [18]

    Awards and honors

    References

    1. ↑ "Kentucky Wildcats Official Athletic Site - Football". Archived from the original on August 31, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
    2. ↑ "Final 1977 AP Poll at AP Poll Archive.com". Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
    3. ↑ Story, Mark, UK football's greatest wins at Commonwealth, Lexington Herald-Leader, September 4, 2011
    4. ↑ "Kentucky Wildcats claw Carolina 10–7". Rocky Mount Telegram. September 11, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    5. ↑ "Baylor bounces Kentucky, 21–6". The Odessa American. September 18, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    6. ↑ "Kentucky plows over W. Virginia". The Tampa Tribune-Times. September 25, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    7. ↑ "Kentucky shocks Penn State". The Tennessean. October 2, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    8. ↑ "Wildcats blitz State, 23–7". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 9, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    9. ↑ "Kentucky romps over LSU, 33–13". The Miami Herald. October 16, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    10. ↑ "Georgia blanked 33–0 by 'Cats". The Times Recorder. October 23, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    11. ↑ "Mistakes don't matter as UK smothers VPI". The Courier-Journal. October 30, 1977. Retrieved December 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
    12. ↑ "'Cats nail Vandy for victory No. 8". The Paducah Sun-Democrat. November 6, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    13. ↑ "UK Wildcats 'purrr...fect' against UF". The Pensacola News-Journal. November 13, 1977. Retrieved October 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    14. ↑ "UK nips tough Tennessee, ends 10–1". The Courier-Journal. November 20, 1977. Retrieved May 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
    15. ↑ 1997 Kentucky Football Media Guide, p.168
    16. ↑ "Kentucky in the 1977 AP polls, AP Poll Archive". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
    17. ↑ Ocala Star-Banner. 1977 Oct 23. Retrieved 2018-Nov-03.
    18. ↑ "1978 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007.
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